Out-of-form Johnson dropped for second Ashes Test

Mitchell Johnson (C) walks past team selector Jamie Cox (R) and team manager Steve Bernard (L) as he is dropped from the Australian team for the second Ashes Test. —AFP Photo

ADELAIDE: Strike bowler Mitchell Johnson has been dropped from the Australian team for the first time for Friday’s second Ashes Test against England at the Adelaide Oval.

Johnson, Australia’s leading active wicket-taker with 166 wickets in 39 Tests, was left out of the squad with a decision on a final 11 to be made on the morning of the match. Captain Ricky Ponting confirmed Johnson had been omitted so he could address some issues with his bowling after going without a wicket for 170 runs for the first time in his Test career during last Monday’s drawn Gabba Test.
Fast bowlers Doug Bollinger and Ryan Harris, who were added to the squad after the Brisbane Test, are vying for places in the team.
“Selectors felt Mitch was down on a bit of form and down on rhythm, that was probably highlighted in the last game,” Ponting told a news conference on Thursday.
“The game of Test match cricket is hard enough as it is without having to try to find those things in the middle of a Test match.
“With a short turnaround as well he now has a bit of time before the (third) Perth Test match to hopefully rediscover some of that rhythm.”
Johnson, whose left-arm slinging style has a small margin for error and is prone to waywardness, took the news with grace.
“It’s obviously disappointing but it’s not the end of the world,” Johnson told reporters.
“We still have a lot of Tests to go in this series and I’m going to be working my way back into this Test team and hopefully play a big part.